The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1922. MUSICAL UNION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11296, 23 August 1922, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1922. MUSICAL UNION

For the first time in the life of this Dominion an attempt has been made to organise music in a manner worthy of the noble art. That is in the best interest of the art, and also in the line of natural development. To judge of the status of the art to-day, among us, it is not necessary to institute comparison with the status in other countries, even in those countries in which it has attained a high degree of perfection. Such comparison is, of course, useful, and as a help to advancement is necessary. But as a help it does not stand alone. Another help, even more necessary and more stimulating, ie comparison of the status at which we have arrived with the beginnings of the early days when the pioneers kept alive their memories of song and instrumental play enjoyed in their old surroundings. In their emigrant ships they had sung the ballads of their country, and the glees and madrigals of old days were used to break the monotony of the long sea voyage. In their subsequent life in the wilderness a solitary piano here and there in cultured households maintained the sacred fire, and many are the stories of toilroughened men coming suddenly from the deserts of lonely work to these oases of family life, being overwhelmed with emotion on hearing the hymns and ballads of their childhood. In the growing towns the concert soon became a favourite recreation and means of raising funds for various purposes. To these come singers who had not forgotten their early training, pianists of some efficiency, in many cases considerable talent, and instrumentalists of more than elementary proficiency. Musical ambition gradually evolved the Choral Society, organising choral singers with pianoforte accompaniments, for which there were found amateurs who were not by any means amateurish. There were many ladies who, by their playing of the accompaniments of great oratorios—Handel, Haydn, Costa, and others—held together these societies; steady maintainers were they of the ' sacred fire, which without them would have languished. Gradually instrumental players increased, and to their art of orchestration a great fillip was. given by the members of regimental bands left behind by the British regiments on their departure from New Zealand. Orchestras replaced the ladies who had maintained the sacred fire, and one by one orchestral societies arose, with ambitious programmes properly annotated in traditional fashion. Glee clubs and societies filled in the interstices, and in time music became organised as an art, capable professional musicians brought by the stream of emigration being conspicuous as conductors for these and the choral and orchestral societies. The public taste was not left to thie unaided development. Opera companies early began touring, famous singers were not long in following in their steps. The publio became, in due course, familiar with serious and comio opera, Italian and English; had many opportunities of appreciating the melodious tragedy of Verdi, the glitter of Offenbach, the characteristic brilliancy of Gilbert and Sullivan, the comedy of Rossini, and finally the compositions of the modem schools from Wagner to Leoncavallo. Great singers were hoard frequently, and great instrumentalists, the lists running large from lima de Murska to Melba, and from Wilhelmj to Kubelik, with great names in fine array on both lists. Schools and colleges recognised gradually the value of music; the musical degrees became objects of practical ambition, and examiners from London helped to keep up high standards. These, together with the influence of the touring musicians, kept up the public taste, and reasonable appreciation began to spread fairly wide. In short, music, like the other departments of the Dominion life, became at last fairly developed on sound Uses.

But though music in the Dominion took its place in the musical line of the world, that place was not close up. Our section is separated from the best, the most op>imistic among us must admit, “longo intervallo.” How great that interval for our soloists, vocal and instrumental, travelling stars demonstrate strongly. How great for our choral singers, the Sheffield Choir revealed to us with magic power the greatness of the separating interval. It was a blow to our pride. But pride, especially when insensate, deserves hard punching. The choir of the Westminster boys did the same service some years before, but their lesson 6eeme to have been thrown away. On the whole, then, it appears that our status, seally wonderful as it is in comparison with the beginning of “formless and void,’’ actually leaves much to be desired.

There is, clearly, much to be done if w© want to lessen that rather large interval. The conference duly attended to that matter. It resolved well to arrange the co-operation of musical libraries, and the arrangement of dates of performances favourable to the engagement of Australian artists. With the library arrangement no one can find fault. But what need is there for relying on Australian artists? This country produces nearly as good voices, and quite as good hearts and brains as Australia. Why not train our own voices ? If we must import, we can rely ou the travelling stars, who are ahead of the Australians by genera tions. And we have good artists here. We want to encourage them, not foreigners. This brings ns back to the pivot point of encouragement. There are two factors in this pivot. These are the tourist artists who come of their own accord, and the local talent which we ought to train. The right conclusion is “Train it." The schools can help. The conference of musical societies was alive, to this requirement. Someone was quoted as having said that half the children of New Zealand are tone deaf. Foolish, stupid, wrong P Of course, beyond any doubt whatever. But even a thing so outrageous, so libellous on our young people, so completely contrary to fact, has its use. It can act as a spur to righteous effort. The spur urges the Education Department to give more time to music in the schools. A good suggestion. A break in heaviness, if steady, is wanted. What better break than singing? Tone up the body as well as the mind? Certainly, and what better tone for the body than the singing which develops the young lungs? Half an hour a week? Truly absurd, as the conference decided. Half an hour a day would do more than all the physical exercises wherever they originated, no matter whether in the brains of Swedish pedagogues or the fllounderings of the futile towards clear thought. Give the children half an hour—a quarter would better than nothing—a day of musio and cheerfulness is assured, as well as being strengthening against all weakness, to the better development of the race. The cheerfulness incidental would make the fortune of educational training, for with strengthening constitutions their owners would acquire all things educational much better. Add some practice in partsinging, such as comes through canons, glees, and madrigals, and the Education Department will create a musical population as good as the population that earned the title of “Merrie England.” Thus shall we get a basis on which to build a musical nation in God’s Own Country superior to anything on God’s earth.